The invention relates to misting devices. More specifically, the invention relates to portable misting devices.
Misting devices have been used for years in connection with different applications. One application of misting devices provides a way of cooling off or refreshing individuals (users) outdoors when hot. Typically, in a misting device, a fluid, such as water, is fed to one or more nozzles that spray the water in a mist in a direction where a user may stand, sit or lay. One problem with these misting devices is that many of these devices are not self-contained. The water is typically fed to the misting device from a reservoir located remotely from the misting device and/or the misting device is not transportable, i.e., is fixed in a given location. A motorized pump discharges the water from the device. The remote reservoir and proximity to a power source (e.g., 120 volt electrical supply) limits the mobility of the misting device, and implicitly of the users who are prevented from freely moving outdoors wherever they desire and still being able to use the misting device. U.S. Pat. Nos. D412,199 and D422,051 issued to the inventor describe designs for misting devices. Such devices work well in applications where the misting device is moved to one location (even a remote location) for use.
Self-contained portable misting devices are another class of misting device that allows a user to transport the device with him or her. These include devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,793 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,669 which, in embodiments, describe battery-operated pumping systems that charge a volume of fluid stored in the device. Many self-contained portable misting devices use hand held pumps to pressurize a fluid chamber (i.e., reservoir) in order to discharge mist. A user must expend energy to pump up the device prior to and/or during use. This effort is contrary to the purpose of the misting device, which is to cool of a person. Therefore, it would be desirable to lower the degree of human effort expended to charge a misting device.
The invention provides a misting device that comprises a bottle for holding a volume of fluid that is charged with a gas from a pressurized source. In one embodiment, the bottle comprises an interior chamber adapted to hold a fluid, an opening and a sleeve extending from the opening through a portion of the interior chamber. A cap assembly coupled to the opening comprises a gas inlet configured to pressurize the bottle and a fluid outlet configured to discharge fluid. The bottle also comprises an interior tube that extends from the fluid outlet, between the sleeve and through a portion of the interior chamber configured to discharge fluid through the fluid outlet. Fluid is discharged from the bottle through a flexible tube that includes a nozzle at one end and is connected to a fluid outlet on the other end. In another embodiment, the stream of fluid discharged from the nozzle is modified by a fan coupled to the nozzle. A tubing clamp attached to the flexible tube may be used to constrict the tube, so as to control the discharge from the nozzle and the fan.